Requires grant priority to be given eligible entities that demonstrate the greatest financial need.
Reserves the following portions of grant funds made available for each fiscal year: (1) at least ten percent for eligible entities that are historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities; and (2) at least ten percent for eligible entities that are social fraternities and sororities.
Provides that any application for assistance under this Act, any negative determination on the part of the Secretary with respect to such application, or any statement of reasons for the determination, shall not be admissible as evidence in any proceeding of any court, agency, board, or other entity (except a proceeding to enforce an agreement entered into between the Secretary and an eligible entity under this Act).
[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1613 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1613
To establish a demonstration incentive program within the Department of
Education to promote installation of fire sprinkler systems, or other
fire suppression or prevention technologies, in qualified student
housing and dormitories, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 3, 2003
Mrs. Jones of Ohio introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a demonstration incentive program within the Department of
Education to promote installation of fire sprinkler systems, or other
fire suppression or prevention technologies, in qualified student
housing and dormitories, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``College Fire
Prevention Act''.
(b) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
(1) On Wednesday, January 19, 2000, a fire occurred at a
Seton Hall University dormitory. Three male freshmen, all 18
years of age, died. Fifty-four students, 2 South Orange
firefighters, and 2 South Orange police officers were injured.
The dormitory was a 6-story, 350-room structure built in 1952,
that housed approximately 600 students. It was equipped with
smoke alarms but no fire sprinkler system.
(2) On Mother's Day 1996 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a
fire in the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity House killed 5 college
juniors and injured 3. The 3-story plus basement fraternity
house was 70 years old. The National Fire Protection
Association identified several factors that contributed to the
tragic fire, including the lack of fire sprinkler protection.
(3) It is estimated that between 1980 and 1998, an average
of 1,800 fires at dormitories, fraternities, and sororities,
involving 1 death, 70 injuries, and $8,000,000 in property
damage were reported to public fire departments.
(4) Within dormitories, fraternities, and sororities the
leading cause of fires is arson or suspected arson. The second
leading cause of college building fires is cooking. The third
leading cause is smoking.
(5) New dormitories are generally required to have advanced
safety systems such as fire sprinklers. But such requirements
are rarely imposed retroactively on existing buildings.
(6) In 1998, 93 percent of the campus building fires
reported to fire departments occurred in buildings where there
were smoke alarms present. However, only 34 percent had fire
sprinklers present.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF FIRE SUPPRESSION DEMONSTRATION INCENTIVE
PROGRAM.
(a) Grants.--The Secretary of Education (in this Act referred to as
the ``Secretary''), in consultation with the United States Fire
Administration, shall establish a demonstration program to award grants
on a competitive basis to eligible entities for the purpose of
installing fire sprinkler systems, or other fire suppression or
prevention technologies, in student housing and dormitories owned or
controlled by such entities.
(b) Eligible Entity.--For purposes of this Act, the term ``eligible
entity'' means any of the following:
(1) An accredited public or private institution of higher
education (as that term is defined in section 101 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)).
(2) An accredited historically Black college or university
(as that term is used in section 322 of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061)).
(3) An accredited Hispanic-serving institution (as that
term is defined in section 502 of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a)).
(4) An accredited Tribally Controlled College or University
(as that term is defined in section 2 of the Tribally
Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978 (25
U.S.C. 1801)).
(5) A social fraternity or sorority exempt from taxation
under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26
U.S.C. 501(a)), the active membership of which consists
primarily of students in attendance at an accredited
institution of higher education.
(c) Selection Priority.--In making grants under subsection (a), the
Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that demonstrate the
greatest financial need.
(d) Reservations.--Of the amount made available to the Secretary
for grants under this section for each fiscal year, the Secretary shall
award--
(1) not less than 10 percent to eligible entities that are
historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving
institutions, and Tribally Controlled Colleges and
Universities; and
(2) not less than 10 percent to eligible entities that are
social fraternities and sororities.
(e) Application.--To seek a grant under this section, an eligible
entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in
such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may
require.
(f) Matching Requirement.--As a condition on receipt of a grant
under subsection (a), the applicant shall provide (directly or through
donations from public or private entities) non-Federal matching funds
in an amount equal to not less than 50 percent of the cost of the
activities for which assistance is sought.
(g) Limitation on Administrative Expenses.--Not more than 10
percent of a grant made under subsection (a) may be expended for
administrative expenses with respect to the grant.
(h) Reports.--Not later than 12 months after the date of the first
award of a grant under this section and annually thereafter until
completion of the program, the Secretary shall provide to the Congress
a report that includes the following:
(1) The number and types of eligible entities receiving
assistance under this section.
(2) The amounts of such assistance, the amounts and sources
of non-Federal funding leveraged for activities under grants
under this section, and any other relevant financial
information.
(3) The number and types of student housing fitted with
fire suppression or prevention technologies with assistance
under this section, and the number of students protected by
such technologies.
(4) The types of fire suppression or prevention
technologies installed with assistance under this section, and
the costs of such technologies.
(5) Identification of Federal and State policies that
present impediments to the development and installation of fire
suppression or prevention technologies.
(6) Any other information determined by the Secretary to be
useful to evaluating the overall effectiveness of the program
established under this section in improving the fire safety of
student housing.
(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this Act $100,000,000 for each of the fiscal
years 2004 through 2008. At the end of fiscal year 2008, all
unobligated appropriations authorized under this subsection shall
revert to the general fund of the Treasury.
SEC. 3. ADMISSIBILITY AS EVIDENCE.
(a) Prohibition.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law and
subject to subsection (b), any application for assistance under this
Act, any negative determination on the part of the Secretary with
respect to such application, or any statement of reasons for the
determination, shall not be admissible as evidence in any proceeding of
any court, agency, board, or other entity.
(b) Exception.--This section does not apply to the admission of an
application, determination, or statement described in subsection (a) as
evidence in a proceeding to enforce an agreement entered into between
the Secretary of Education and an eligible entity under section 2.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness.
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